Any students out there?

[Hokucat]

I know this is not a popular option, but if possible it might help to take a half year or year off from studies or working, or at least reduce your workload, to help limit your glands from getting worse, and help rest your eyes. This would also give you more time to seek doctors, treatments, diets, etc. that may help your condition sooner rather than later, and see/feel the improvements that could be negated if you are continuing to use your eyes excessively for school or work. Perhaps move in with relatives. If you work, at least look into short term disability. Don’t get me wrong, I realize all this is not easy, but it could make a difference in the long run for your eyes and overall life.

I continued to work for five years after my MGD and aqueous deficiency started. I was forced to stop after I could no longer look at the computer, drive to work, or do much of anything anymore, because of the debilitating pain from reaching virtually zero tear film, and developing blepharospasms so I could not keep my eyes open. It took another three years to continue seeking doctors, treatments, diets, etc., and that was very difficult in the state I was in at that point, I relied a lot on my husband for help. Fortunately I did ultimately find resolution from probing+diet+sclerals, but during those eight years, several of my glands atrophied. The sclerals help me now with the dryness due to the atrophied glands, but I honestly believe I would have recovered almostly completely back to normal, had it not taken so long to find resolution, losing all those glands over the years. So in hindsight, I should have stopped working earlier to better focus on my condition and try to limit further damage before it got so bad. Just my thoughts.

[Milo007]

I know this is not a popular option, but if possible it might help to take a half year or year off from studies or working, or at least reduce your workload, to help limit your glands from getting worse, and help rest your eyes. This would also give you more time to seek doctors, treatments, diets, etc. that may help your condition sooner rather than later, and see/feel the improvements that could be negated if you are continuing to use your eyes excessively for school or work. Perhaps move in with relatives. If you work, at least look into short term disability. Don’t get me wrong, I realize all this is not easy, but it could make a difference in the long run for your eyes and overall life.

I continued to work for five years after my MGD and aqueous deficiency started. I was forced to stop after I could no longer look at the computer, drive to work, or do much of anything anymore, because of the debilitating pain from reaching virtually zero tear film, and developing blepharospasms so I could not keep my eyes open. It took another three years to continue seeking doctors, treatments, diets, etc., and that was very difficult in the state I was in at that point, I relied a lot on my husband for help. Fortunately I did ultimately find resolution from probing+diet+sclerals, but during those eight years, several of my glands atrophied. The sclerals help me now with the dryness due to the atrophied glands, but I honestly believe I would have recovered almostly completely back to normal, had it not taken so long to find resolution, losing all those glands over the years. So in hindsight, I should have stopped working earlier to better focus on my condition and try to limit further damage before it got so bad. Just my thoughts.

Thanks for the response again hokucat!


Well it would have been great if I could take a break from my studies at this stage but unfortunately I am at a critical stage in my career where I must carry on with my academic studies at least for the next 1 or 2 years since earning a position in my domain of career to gain a livelihood is about a huge competition here.

Instead I am trying to manage things as much as possible. I have been recently trying to train myself to blink more frequently in a conscious manner while performing tasks like reading simultaneously maintaining mental focus. I would also look for moisture chamber glasses for additional support.

I think it's possible to train your eyes to blink sub consciously at a decent rate while you try to focus on other activities.

It's interesting that you developed severe aqueous deficiency after prolonged MGD.

What was your schirmer's result when you first had symptoms of MGD?

You wrote you haven't been diagnosed with auto immune diseases till date. It's surprising you developed aqueous deficiency later on and I am trying to guess the possible connection with MGD.

I am realizing the importance of probing more and more as I read about the dramatic benefits of the same for so many patients. But the problem is I haven't been able to find a doctor in India yet who would do a probing of the glands.

I think it would have been much more beneficial to you if you had probing done 8 years back and maybe then your work would not have affected your glands the way they did since they were blocked by fibrous tissue for all those 8 years!

Just to add, you have been immensely helpful and supportive to me and other member of this forum.

[Milo007]

Happy to if we have any left! If not I think that the folks at 7Eye/Ziena would be able to - see zienaeyewear.com. Seacrest is probably the most promising, of that seris.

Just let me know if you have any! Fit would a concern and I would trust your experience with helping me out sort out the most probable match.

I would definitely look into ziena Seacrest!

Thanks a lot!

[Hokucat]

Milo007 , thank you for your kind words. I do want to help if I can, knowing just how debilitating dry eyes can be. I’m sorry I’m not able to post that often with kids in school and all that goes along with raising them, but I usually check this forum every few days to glance at the latest posts, so I can at least mention everyone I see in my prayers that evening, yes, by your screen names :-).

It’s understandable you cannot take a break right now. I just wanted to put that as a possible suggestion for you or others. I guess I was in one of those retrospective moods last night when I posted that!

I was diagnosed with both aqueous deficiency and MGD early on. I think back then my Schirmers was ~5-6. And I’ve had the diagnosis of Sjogren’s Syndrome since that time too, based on the severity of my dry eyes and many other non-eye symptoms I started getting indicative of Sjogren’s.

During most of my 8+ years struggling with severe dry eyes, probing was not yet around, and then initially for several years was only done by one doctor in Florida who created the procedure, and the last few years of my suffering only a handful of doctors in the U.S. had extensive probing experience. There was not a lot known about probing back then. And today, they still do not know the long term effects of probing, including potential downsides like the probing itself causing its own scar tissue inside the glands, damage to the gland structure, etc. It is a very invasive and uncomfortable procedure which I would still not recommend, before trying less invasive treatments like LipiFlow, IPL, and gland expression first. I only turned to probing because nothing else worked, so it was one of my last resorts.

If you do decide to do probing at some point, check to make sure that doctor is very experienced with many procedures under their belt, and there have not been any flags online on serious issues with their procedures.

[Milo007]

Milo007 , thank you for your kind words. I do want to help if I can, knowing just how debilitating dry eyes can be. I’m sorry I’m not able to post that often with kids in school and all that goes along with raising them, but I usually check this forum every few days to glance at the latest posts, so I can at least mention everyone I see in my prayers that evening, yes, by your screen names :-).

It’s understandable you cannot take a break right now. I just wanted to put that as a possible suggestion for you or others. I guess I was in one of those retrospective moods last night when I posted that!

I was diagnosed with both aqueous deficiency and MGD early on. I think back then my Schirmers was ~5-6. And I’ve had the diagnosis of Sjogren’s Syndrome since that time too, based on the severity of my dry eyes and many other non-eye symptoms I started getting indicative of Sjogren’s.

During most of my 8+ years struggling with severe dry eyes, probing was not yet around, and then initially for several years was only done by one doctor in Florida who created the procedure, and the last few years of my suffering only a handful of doctors in the U.S. had extensive probing experience. There was not a lot known about probing back then. And today, they still do not know the long term effects of probing, including potential downsides like the probing itself causing its own scar tissue inside the glands, damage to the gland structure, etc. It is a very invasive and uncomfortable procedure which I would still not recommend, before trying less invasive treatments like LipiFlow, IPL, and gland expression first. I only turned to probing because nothing else worked, so it was one of my last resorts.

If you do decide to do probing at some point, check to make sure that doctor is very experienced with many procedures under their belt, and there have not been any flags online on serious issues with their procedures.

Hokucat I just remembered since you write that your aqueous deficiency is a problem which doesn't let you wear scerals for long periods. Have you ever considered a salivary gland transplant?

Have you ever experienced dry mouth as well?

I guess you haven't been diagnosed with sjogren's syndrome based on test results but only symptoms. Sjogren's syndrome would be detrimental to your salivary glands as well. If you don't have a dry mouth salivary gland transplantation could be very effective.

[Hokucat]

My aqueous deficiency is less of a problem now, also thanks to diet changes. I have some tear film now, so can wear my sclerals 12+ hours a day. While on vacation last month I wore them 16+ hours a day. So I don’t need a salivary gland transplant, but good you mention it, as perhaps a possible option for others who are suffering from aqueous deficiency.

I only get dry mouth at night, as I sometimes sleep with my mouth open. But during the day I don’t seem to have it, and my dentist says I have plenty of saliva so am lucky because many patients he has with Sjogren’s have little saliva, which causes tooth decay.